System and apparatus for storing packages

ABSTRACT

For storing packages or the like in an attic crawl space, having a trap door access opening circular platforms of diameter considerably larger than the maximum dimension of the access opening are rotatably mounted on horizontal floor sections covering the crawl space floor joists at locations which can be reached by a person standing at or in the trap door opening. Castors around the outer edge of each circular platform support it for easy rotation in either direction on these floors; and a pivot pin through the center of the platform and the floor on which the platform is supported serves to keep each platform positioned immediately adjacent the crawl space opening so that coded boxes or bundles can be stored thereon and easily reached, lazy Susan style. A chart, stored adjacent to the platforms and floors, is provided for indicating the nature and contents of each bundle. These circular platforms are each made up of two hinged pieces which, when in their folded over, collapsed condition, will fit through the maximum dimension of this crawl space opening.

United States Patent Browne 1 Aug. 29, 1972 [54] SYSTEM AND APPARATUSFOR STORING PACKAGES [72] Inventor: Laurence A. Browne, 3053 Oregon Ave.S., St. Louis Park, Minn. 55426 [22] Filed: Oct. 8, 1970 21 Appl. No.:79,111

[52] US. Cl. ..52/3l, 52/173, 214/16 B [51] Int. Cl. ..E04b 5/00 [58]Field of Search.......52/29, 31; 214/16 B, 16.1 A

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 842,056 1/1907 Barr ..214/l6B 1,582,099 4/1926 Trask ..214/16.1 A 1,861,461 6/1932 Traube ..214/16.lA

Primary Exanfiner-Philip Arnold Attomey-Burd, Braddock 8L Bartz [57]ABSTRACT For storing packages or the like in an attic crawl space,having a trap door access opening circular platforms of diameterconsiderably larger than the maximum dimension of the access opening arerotatably mounted on horizontal floor sections covering the crawl spacefloor joists at locations which can be reached by a person standing ator in the trap door opening. Castors around the outer edge of eachcircular platform support it for easy rotation in either direction onthese floors; and a pivot pin through the center of the platform and thefloor on which the platform is supported serves to keep each platformpositioned immediately adjacent the crawl space opening so that codedboxes or bundles can be stored thereon and easily reached, lazy Susanstyle. A chart, stored adjacent to the platforms and floors, is providedfor indicating the nature and contents of each bundle. These circularplatforms are each made up of two hinged pieces which, when in theirfolded over, collapsed condition, will fit through the maximum dimensionof this crawl space opening.

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LAWRENCE A. BROWNE F251 5' BY Arrazwzr:

SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR STORING PACKAGES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Ina typical American home of today, at least a por tion of the spacebetween the slanted outer roof and the uppermost room ceiling isunfinished. The average American family living in such a houseaccumulates a variety of clothing and equipment which is used seasonally(such as gear for participating in summer camping and winter sports, andclothing designed for use during a particular season), or on specificperiodically recurring occasions (Thanksgiving, New Years, Christmas,Easter, Halloween, etc. This average family has a great need to storethe equipment related to such seasons or occasions in such a manner thatit will not be taking up room in the living area of the house and insuch a manner that it is readily available and can very easily belocated when it is needed.

The typical attic crawl space is unfinished with bare roof rafterssupporting the roof sheathing and with open ceiling joists havingSheetrock ceiling sheets nailed on the bottom thereof. Typically, bulkvermiculite or rock wool is poured between the floor joists. Ventilatorsto the outside are provided to insure that the temperature and themoisture content of the air in the crawl space is maintainedcommensurate with the outside ambient temperature and humidityconditions to prevent undue condensation and moisture permeationproblems.

Changes in temperature causing contracting and expansion of the air intoand out of crawl space through these ventilators, the wind conditionsoutside of the house, and the movement of people in the crawl space inthe act of storing or retrieving articles all causes the insulatingmaterials and also the ambient dust and airborne pollutants to bedeposited throughout the crawl space and, specifically, over anyarticles stored therein. This makes it advisable to store all gearinside of cartons. This makes it impossible to identify the contents ofthe cartons from the outside; and makes it necessary to crawl into thespace to identify the contents of the cartons either by opening thecarton or by reading the outside of the carton if the contents have beenlisted there.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As shown, an apparatus of the present inventionincludes two plywood pieces cut into shapes so that when they are hingedto each other, they form a complete circular platform. Castors aroundouter edge portions of this platform support it on a floor sectionconsisting of a series of boards which have been nailed to the ceilingjoists and which form a rectangular base of dimension sufficiently tosupport the castors of the circular platform.

A pivot pin extending through the platform and the floor insures thatthe platform will rotate with respect to the floor, but will not moveoff of it.

A plurality of numbered, lettered and/or color coded empty containersare provided sufficient to substantially cover a particular platform atleast one layer deep. Typically, each platform can e painted in adistinctive color and containers of the same color can be seriallynumbered or lettered on all faces for use only on that platform. A chartidentifying each platform and providing a space for each of theconsecutively numbered containers is provided so that the contents ofeach container can be noted in the space provided.Thischartcanbeofadimensionsothatitwillfit between one of the platfonnsand its floor section and betweenitspivotpinandringofcastorssoitcanbereached by a person standing at the trap opening by extending his handpast the castors and between the platform on the floor space.

When the materials and equipment relative to a certain occasion orseason or event in the life of the family are to be stored, they will beput in one or more of the containers associated with a particularplatform and notations about the contents of these containers will bemade on the appropriate chart space provided. The containers are closedto protect against dust, and then these resulting packages areintroduced through the trap opening and deposited on the particularplatform.

A plurality of retaining fingers, extending upwardly from the outerperiphery of the platform, form a retain ing ring which keeps thepackages from sliding off of the platform.

The platform will then be rotated to carry the package to a positionaway from the crawl space access opening so that subsequent packages canbe positioned on the platform adjacent the opening.

When it is desired to use the equipment in a particuiar package, theplatform is rotated until the container number is visible and until thepackage is immediately adjacent the crawl space, at which point it isremoved throng: the trap door opening, the equipment taken from thecontainer, and the container then replaced empty until such time as theequipment has served its purpose and can once again be stored.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion ofan attic crawl space and trap door access opening showing one of theinvention located adjacent to said p g;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical view taken on the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the platform in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3; and

FIG. 5 is a view of a chart designed to be stored between the floor andone of the platforms and illus trating the coding for the containers andthe platforms.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Apparatus for storing packagesincludes a plurality of circular platforms 10, only one of which isillustrated in the drawings. As shown, the platform consists of a firstplatform section 1 1, and a second platform section 12 hingedly mountedthereto at a top surface thereof as at 13. A plurality of castors 14 aremounted around the periphery of the circular platform to support it on afloor section 15 which is built up of a plurality of floor boards 16nailed to ceiling joists 19 of an attic crawl space having a trap dooropening 20 therethrough. This trap door access opening is bounded by aframe 21. The access opening 20 opens from the attic crawl space throughthe ceiling into the occupied part of the house.

As disclosed, the space between the ceiling joists 19 is filled withbulk insulating material 22 such as vermiculite, rock wool or glasswool.

In order to insure that the platform doesn't move laterally with respectto the floor section 15, a pivot pin 25 extends down through an opening26 provided in the first platform section 1 l and through an opening 27in one of the floor boards 16 of the floor section 15. As shown, abushing 28 is fitted in this opening 27, and a spacer collar 29 issituated between this bushing and the platform section 11 to assist inmaintaining the platform at the height established by the castors 14.

Because the floor boards 16 are relatively narrow, they are easilyinserted through the trap door opening and are nailed to the floorjoists 19 to provide a smooth flat supporting surface for castors 14 ofthe circular platform 10.

In order to get the most storage space practicable, the diameter of thecircular platform 10 is larger than the greatest diagonal dimensionacross the ceiling opening 20 and through the frame 21. The purpose ofthe hinged first and second sections of this circular platform 10 is toallow minimum overall dimension of the circular platform to betemporarily reduced so that the platform can be introduced through theframe 21 and the opening 20. Once inside of the attic crawl space, thecircular frame is opened out of the position as seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and4, and positioned so that the opening 26 is in vertical alignment withthe opening 27. The bushing 28 is inserted through the opening 27 in afloor board 16, the pivot pin is inserted through the opening 26, thespacer collar 29 is slid over this pin, and the end of the pin is slidthrough the central cylindrical opening in the bushing 28.

A plurality of retaining fingers 30 extends upwardly from the outercylindrical edge of the platform 10 in position to prevent packagesstored on the platform from being accidentally pushed therefrom.

While only one such apparatus of the present invention is shown, it isto be understood that a similar or exactly identical arrangement ofapparatus could be established exactly opposite the opening 20 and frame2 l thus doubling the amount of storage space available for use in amanner to be described. Further, by building up additional floorsections to the left and right of the frame 21 as seen in FIG. 1, twoadditional circular platforms can be installed.

The system for utilizing the apparatus of the invention involvesestablishing a code identity for each platform. For example, theplatform shown in FIG. 1 can be assigned the code letter A, and/or canbe painted with an identifying color such as red, for example. Otherplatforms can be identified by other letters and/or can be paintedcolors such as yellow, blue or green.

A series of containers 31 will be provided which are also identifiedwith the same code as used to identify the platform. Depending on thenature of the equipment to be stored, these containers can beconstructed out of any suitable material. For example, cardboard boxescould be utilized which would be painted a distinctive color, forexample, red, or an identifying symbol such as letter A can be marked oneach such container to be utilized with a particular platform. rit: rrll l e gn y? iiumber t ri ajl f in? a fliei r so that it can be easilyidentified as long as at least one face thereof is visible.

A chart 32 is provided in which spaces are provided for each seriallynumbered box for each coded platform.

When it is desired to store seasonal clothing, for example winterjackets, a container 31 of suitable size will be chosen, for example,the red coded container serially numbered 1, and the winter jackets willbe placed inside, the resulting package closed, and a person standingnear or in the trap door access opening 20 to the crawl space willposition the red coded container "1" on the red platform 10. Thenotation winter jackets" will be written in the square provided on thechart 32. Other equipment can be placed in other containers, the chartlabeled appropriately, and these packages put on the platform 10 as theplatform is rotated round to make room for them. The master chartshowing the location of the equipment in each of the boxes can then beslid between the platform 10 and the floor section 15 to have positionsubstantially as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4, between the outer ringof castors l4 and the center opening 26 and pin 25. As other equipmentis to be stored, the chart 32 will be removed and additional notationswill be made in the appropriate squares as to the contents of each ofthe packages on the platforms.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Apparatus for storing equipment in an unfinished attic crawl spacehaving a rectangular trap door access opening and ceiling joistsdefining a portion of the bottom of such space, such apparatus includinga relatively smooth horizontal floor section supported on said ceilingjoists, a circular platform of diameter substantially greater than themaximum dimension of said access opening and situated on said floorsection in adjacent tangential relationship to a portion of theperiphery of said opening; a plurality of castors mounted on theunderside of said platform to support said platform on said floorsection; guide means cooperating with said platform and said floorsection for permitting rotation of said platform on said castors withrespect to said floor section while preventing lateral movement of saidplatform with respect to said floor section; said platform being made upof two plane sections meeting on a straight line; and hinge meansjoining said sections for movement between an open, operating positionand a folded position, one over the other; said platfonn being of sizeand shape to fit through said opening when in folded position.

2. The combination as specified in claim 1 and upstanding retainingmeans around the outer periphery of said circular platform section.

3. The combination as specified in claim 1 and a plurality of containersof size and shape to fit through said opening, said containers and saidplatform being identified by a common visual code, and said containersbeing serially numbered.

l III i i i

1. Apparatus for storing equipment in an unfinished attic crawl spacehaving a rectangular trap door access opening and ceiling joistsdefining a portion of the bottom of such space, such apparatus includinga relatively smooth horizontal floor section supported on said ceilingjoists, a circular platform of diameter substantially greater than themaximum dimension of said access opening and situated on said floorsection in adjacent tangential relationship to a portion of theperiphery of said opening; a plurality of castors mounted on theunderside of said platform to support said platform on said floorsection; guide means cooperating with said platform and said floorsection for permitting rotation of said platform on said castors withrespect to said floor section while preventing lateral movement of saidplatform with respect to said floor section; said platform being made upof two plane sections meeting on a straight line; and hinge meansjoining said sections for movement between an open, operating positionand a folded position, one over the other; said platform being of sizeand shape to fit through said opening when in folded position.
 2. Thecombination as specified in claim 1 and upstanding retaining meansaround the outer periphery of said circular platform section.
 3. Thecombination as specified in claim 1 and a plurality of containers ofsize and shape to fit through said opening, said containers and saidplatform being identified by a common visual code, and said containersbeing serially numbered.